REMICADE® (infliximab) is a prescription infusion medication used to treat several medical conditions — including Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis in pediatric and adult patients. It also treats rheumatoid and psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, and plaque psoriasis.

What is Remicade made of?

Remicade is supplied as a sterile lyophilised cake for reconstitution and dilution prior to administration. Each vial of the product contains 100 mg infliximab, monobasic sodium phosphate monohydrate, dibasic sodium phosphate dihydrate, sucrose, and polysorbate 80. No preservatives are added.

What does Remicade do to your body?

Infliximab works by blocking the actions of a certain natural substance (tumor necrosis factor alpha) in the body. This helps to decrease swelling (inflammation) and weaken your immune system, which slows or stops the damage from the disease.

Is Remicade made with mouse DNA?

The drug is a purified form of recombinant DNA-derived human-mouse monoclonal antibodies consisting of mouse and human's heavy and light chain variable regions.

How long does a Remicade infusion stay in your system?

Doctors use a drug's half-life to find out how long the drug stays in your blood. Usually after about 4 to 5 half-lives, your body will have rid itself of the medication. It takes between 7 to 9 days for the body to get rid of half of a dose of Remicade. This means Remicade can stay in your system for 28 to 45 days.

42 related questions found

Is weight gain a side effect of REMICADE?

In some cases, weight loss or gain may be a sign of other side effects of Remicade. Remicade can cause heart failure, or can cause existing heart failure to get worse. A symptom of heart failure can be swelling, which may cause you to gain weight. Remicade may also increase your risk of infection.

How do you feel after REMICADE infusion?

Delayed Reactions (24 Hours to 14 Days After Infusion)

Reactions can occur after the Remicade infusion. Symptoms generally include muscle or joint aches, itching, rash, fever and fatigue. These symptoms can be relieved by taking acetaminophen, antihistamines and/or steroids.

Is Remicade an immunotherapy?

Infliximab is a type of monoclonal antibody drug that is classified as a biologic. This drug acts as an immunosuppressant drug and is commonly used to treat autoimmune diseases such as ankylosing spondylitis, Crohn's disease, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), ulcerative colitis (UC), psoriasis, and psoriatic arthritis.

Where is Remicade made?

“The various stages of Remicade production occur at Janssen manufacturing sites located in Leiden, The Netherlands, Malvern, Pennsylvania (US), and Schaffhausen, Switzerland,”​ a spokesperson from the firm told Biopharma-Reporter.com.

Is Remicade safe long term?

Long-term use of Remicade may cause severe liver disease, including liver failure, hepatitis, and blockage of enzymes from your liver. Some of these enzymes are needed to process certain drugs. Blockage can lead to higher levels of these drugs in your body and lead to more side effects.

What are the most common side effects of Remicade?

Some side effects may occur during the injection. Tell your caregiver if you feel dizzy, nauseated, light-headed, itchy or tingly, short of breath, or have a headache, fever, chills, muscle or joint pain, pain or tightness in your throat, chest pain, or trouble swallowing during the injection.

How much do Remicade infusions cost?

A single dose of Remicade can cost from $1,300 to $2,500. The first step is determining insurance coverage for the infusion. Medicare does cover Remicade infusions. Most insurance companies require "pre-approval" for coverage.

Is Remicade made from mouse protein?

REMICADE contains the active ingredient, infliximab. Infliximab is a monoclonal antibody that is produced from human and mouse proteins by recombinant technology. Monoclonal antibodies are proteins that recognise and bind to certain special proteins in the body.

Does Remicade contain polyethylene glycol?

Our data demonstrate that Cimzia® supports parasite control through its conjugated polyethylene glycol (PEG) moiety as PEGylation of Remicade® improves the clearance of intracellular Leishmania.

Is Remicade a biologic?

Remicade contains the drug infliximab, which is a biologic (a drug made from parts of living organisms). Remicade belongs to a drug class called tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) blockers.

How long does Remicade lower your immune system?

Higher levels of these antibodies were associated with a much shorter response to treatment -- an average of 35 days compared with 71 days for patients who had lower antibody levels.

Is infliximab a chemo drug?

Infliximab is a TNF (tumor necrosis factor) blocker. It's used to treat moderate to severe Crohn's disease. It was initially designed as a chemotherapy drug to treat cancer but wasn't effective for cancer. The drug has been shown to work against autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn's.

Are Biologics considered immunotherapy?

Biologic Response Modifiers (BRM), also called immunotherapy, is a type of treatment that mobilizes the body's immune system to fight cancer. The therapy mainly consists of stimulating the immune system to help it do its job more effectively.

How long has Remicade been on the market?

On August 24, 1998, Remicade® (infliximab), the first tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF) inhibitor, received its initial marketing approval from the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of Crohn's disease.

What are anti-TNF biologics?

TNF inhibitors are drugs that help stop inflammation. They're used to treat diseases like rheumatoid arthritis (RA), juvenile arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, plaque psoriasis, ankylosing spondylitis, ulcerative colitis (UC), and Crohn's disease. They're also called TNF blockers, biologic therapies, or anti-TNF drugs.

What is Crohn's disease and what does it do to you?

Crohn's disease is a type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). It causes inflammation of your digestive tract, which can lead to abdominal pain, severe diarrhea, fatigue, weight loss and malnutrition. Inflammation caused by Crohn's disease can involve different areas of the digestive tract in different people.

Why is Benadryl given with Remicade?

You may also be given a single dose of an IV steroid, Benadryl and/or Tylenol to prevent this type of reaction. The steroid also helps to enhance the response you will get from the Infliximab. Infusion reactions may also occur and will do so within 2 hours after the infusion.

How common is hair loss with Remicade?

Remicade didn't cause hair loss in people who took the medication in clinical studies. However, hair loss has been reported in people who took other tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) inhibitors. (Remicade is a type of TNF-alpha inhibitor.) Also, some people who took Remicade developed new or worsening psoriasis.